1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to jewelry, specifically to a panel bracelet with replaceable inserted panels.
2. Background Information
The word “jewelry” is derived from the Latin word jocale, meaning “plaything,” and the word jewel, which was anglicized during the 13th century from the Old French word “jouel.” The word “jewelry” (spelled jewellery in European English) is used to describe any piece of precious material (gemstones, noble metals, etc.) used to adorn one's self. Jewelry has played a constant and significant part of human history.
Through-out human history, irrespective of religion, race, or culture, jewelry has existed as an integral form of expression, wealth and social status. While the materials and techniques used to manufacture jewelry have in many ways evolved, there are also a number of similarities with the very first forms of jewelry worn, according to some estimates, an astounding 75,000 to 100,000 years ago. Relatively recently discovered mollusk or nassarius kraussianus shells that had been perforated to be strung together are now thought to be some of the oldest known man-made jewelry dating back to the Middle Stone Age, some 75,000 to 100,000 years ago. In the late 1800s, British archaeologist Archibald Campbell Carlyle said of primitive man that “the first spiritual want of a barbarous man is decoration.” More than just a curio from the past, jewelry, like art, is a window into the soul of humanity, and a poignant reminder of that which separates humankind from the animal kingdom—a desire to capture the essence of beauty, to possess its secrets, and to unlock its mysteries.
Bracelets are a type of jewelry worn around the wrist, and less commonly around the ankle (although this subset of jewelry is technically referenced as “anklets”), of the user and themselves have a long and storied history. Many scholars cite that the earliest known bracelets hark back to 2500 BC, worn by the ancient Sumerians of Southern Mesopotamia. Other sources suggest that “bracelets first worn in 4700 BC during the reign of King Zer were constructed from gold and manufactured in a style widely available today.” Clearly, bracelets were worn long before the even term bracelet was established. Dr. Mark Clayson has described that “during ancient Grecian times, soldiers wore defensive bands of leather often decorated with gold, silver, and other gemstones on their forearms called Bracels, from the Latin term for arm, “Brachium”. The Grecian women realized that these accessories would look good on them, so they began wearing smaller versions—called Bracel-ets.”
One type of common bracelet may be called a panel bracelet and is one utilizing at least one and generally a series of decorative panels coupled along the bracelet. FIG. 1 illustrates what has been called an antique panel bracelet 10 and includes a series of rectangular frames 12 holding individual decorative porcelain or ivory panels 14. The frames 12 are also called bezels or mounts and may be pivotally coupled together through links or a hinge such as shown in FIG. 1.
A conventional clasp or connection may be provided on the respective ends of the bracelet 10 to allow the bracelet 10 to be coupled around the wrist of the user. Other bracelet designs are a continuous hoop which is slipped over the user's wrist, and these may also incorporate a clasp that acts to shorten the hoop to secure the bracelet in place (such as found in many wrist watch designs).
FIG. 2 illustrates a panel bracelet from the 1980s which attaches two distinct decorative Lucite panels 14 on opposed sides of each gold plated frame 12. This design allows the user to selectively reverse the bracelet 10 as desired, to give the user greater flexibility in the appearance of the bracelet 10 and thus greater utility in the bracelet 10.
FIG. 3 illustrates a known panel bracelet 10 design that is called an Italian modular charm bracelet, such as available at www.italiancharms.com. This panel bracelet 10 uses stainless steel rectangular link frames 12 to which are coupled decorative panels 14, called “Charms” formed of decorative enamel, cubic zirconia, and natural or faux stones. The frames 12 and associated charms or panels 14 are intended to be easily and quickly interchangeable by the wearer. Further, the variety of available “charms” or panels 14 allows the user to build their own bracelet 10 and the developers have incorporated an on-line simulation to allow the user to see how their custom bracelet 10 design will look to aid in its design.
FIG. 4 illustrates a known panel bracelet 10 design that is called a “boozy wisdom” bracelet. In this panel bracelet 10 the panels 14 are essentially integral with the frame 12 to provide a reversible bracelet 10 which is comprised of four panels 14, each inscribed on either side with a variety of cheeky phrases, such as “Good form, but not formality” alongside an image of a shapely woman, and a tiny beer stein decorates a panel that reads “To our wives and sweethearts, may they never meet.” As with the panel bracelet 10 of FIG. 2, this design allows the user to selectively reverse the bracelet 10 as desired, to give the user greater flexibility in the appearance of the bracelet 10 and thus greater utility in the bracelet 10.
FIG. 5 illustrates an antique panel bracelet 10 from the 1930's and includes a series of rectangular filigree frames 12 holding individual decorative panels 14. The panels 14 in this bracelet 10 are bone and referenced as storyteller scrimshaw. Scrimshaw itself has its own fascinating history.
FIG. 6 illustrates an antique panel bracelet 10 called a memory frame bracelet with nickel plated frames 12 receiving images, such as sepia 19th Century female transfers, forming panels 14 within the meaning of this application.
The patent literature also discloses a number of bracelet developments, such as U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,036,339 and 6,629,434 which are incorporated herein by reference and disclose a decorative jewelry module that comprises a base member with a hollow interior, a decorative insert, and a fastener arrangement. The decorative insert is sized in relation to the interior of the base member so as to be placed within the hollow base member and viewed through the top opening and wherein number of such units may be connected in series to form a tennis bracelet.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,862,435, which is incorporated herein by reference, discloses a combination bracelet and wristwatch.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,409,837, which is incorporated herein by reference, discloses an interchangeable jewelry insert having an extension formed of elastic material that can frictionally engage a surface of a receptacle for receiving the insert.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,703,974, which is incorporated herein by reference, discloses a watch with a reversible body.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,366,313, which is incorporated herein by reference, discloses jewelry in the form of a watch band with replaceable watch body in an effective and efficient cage and core configuration.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,371,141, which is incorporated herein by reference, discloses jewelry which includes a decorative insert body and a receiving portion that includes an opening for receiving the decorative insert body. For example, the decorative insert body may include magnetic material and the receiving portion includes a rear portion including ferromagnetic material.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,571,578, which is incorporated herein by reference, discloses a reversible ornamental article of jewelry having a plurality of ornamental links hinge ably secured to one another to form a flexible strand of jewelry, which can be in the form of a necklace or bracelet.
U.S. Patent Application Publication Number 2010-0300146, which is incorporated herein by reference, discloses a decorative charm that is designed to reversibly attach to an elastic band wherein the design of the decorative item described herein that facilitates its reversible attachment to an elastic band or bracelet.
U.S. Patent Application Publication Number 2014-0090418, which is incorporated herein by reference, discloses an undulating perimeter rubber base bracelet with charms locked in sockets.
U.S. Patent Application Publication Number 2012-0138637, which is incorporated herein by reference, discloses a bracelet with integral spray mechanism.
U.S. Patent Application Publication Number 2007-0194066, which is incorporated herein by reference, discloses a bracelet with a snap in electronic element such as a watch or global positioning system.
U.S. Patent Application Publication Number 2002-0194867, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,571,578, which is incorporated herein by reference, discloses a bracelet with reversible elements hinged to each other along the bracelet body.
Bracelets form an ongoing important part of the story of humanity and there is an ongoing desire to give individuals new tools for expressing their desire for ornamentation. Improvements in panel bracelet design further these desires.